Teal Health has developed a ground breaking at-home self-collection device for cervical cancer screening known as the Teal Wand™.
This innovative device is uniquely designed to empower individuals to conveniently, comfortably, and confidently collect their own vaginal samples for cervical cancer screening, either from the comfort of their homes or at a health clinic.
Importantly, it eliminates the need for invasive exams. Following sample collection, users will simply mail their samples to a laboratory for testing using an FDA-approved diagnostic test for primary screening of high-risk HPV (human papillomavirus), as recommended by medical guidelines.
Through the Teal Health patient portal, users will receive clear and easily understandable test results. They will also have direct access to women's health providers and, when necessary, receive assistance in arranging follow-up care or procedures.
Despite being largely preventable and curable in 92 percent of cases, cervical cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women aged 20-39. Alarmingly, its incidence is on the rise among women aged 30-44. A significant barrier to routine screening is the discomfort associated with traditional exams, along with factors like lack of information, time constraints, and limited access to healthcare services.
By enabling self-collection, Teal Health aims to address these barriers and significantly increase screening participation.
This approach has already been successfully implemented in other countries such as Australia, where it led to a 50-fold increase in screening engagement within the first year. As a result, Australia is now on track to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern by 2035.
